At the 2014 Paris Motor Show, Mercedes-Benz had unveiled the 2015 B-Class facelift. Within five months of its global premiere, the vehicle has been launched in the Indian car market. The new B-Class facelift is more powerful and feature-rich than the previous model. According to the company, the facelifted B-Class will target young buyers. The changes to the exteriors are subtle, as it features re-sculpted front and rear bumpers, new headlamps with LED daytime running lights. Inside, the B-Class facelift gets various changes including metal inserts, carbon fibre finished dashboard, and red stitching on the seats and steering, etc.
Though the Mercedes-Benz B-Class is currently the only car in the hatchback tourer segment in India, we believe that the BMW 1 Series can be a good competitor of the car. Here is a specification-based comparison between the two Germans.
Dimensions
Dimensionally, the new B-Class facelift is 4359mm long, 2010mm wide, 1557mm tall and it has a large wheelbase of 2699mm. It comes with a ground clearance of 134mm. On the other hand, the 1 Series measures 4324mm in length, 1765mm in width and 1421mm in height, and it comes with a wheelbase of 2690mm. The ground clearance of the 1-series is 157mm.
Engine Specifications
The Mercedes-Benz B-Class facelift is available in both petrol and diesel fuel options. The oil burner is a 2.1-litre diesel engine that churns out 134bhp of power and 300Nm of torque, while the petrol version is a 1.6-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine that is good for 121bhp and 200Nm. Power is transmitted to the front wheels of the car via a seven-speed dual clutch gearbox.
On the other hand, the 1 Series is powered by a 2.0-litre engine that produces 143bhp at 4000rpm and a peak torque of 320Nm at 1750rpm. The petrol engine is a 1.6-litre engine that is good for 136bhp of power at 4400rpm and 220Nm of torque at 1350rpm. Both the engines are coupled to an eight-speed automatic gearbox which sends power to the rear wheels of the car.
Price
The petrol version of the Mercedes-Benz B-Class facelift is priced at Rs. 27.95 lakh, while the diesel model comes at Rs. 28.95 lakh (ex-showroom, Mumbai). On the other hand, the petrol version of the BMW 1 Series is tagged at Rs. 22.65 lakh while the diesel model is priced at Rs. 25.60 lakh (ex-showroom, Mumbai).
